Mailbox Full

There were so many heart-breaking stories shortly after 9/11. There were the “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” stories, the “Fallen Hero” stories, or the “We Have No Idea What Happened To Them” stories. Many times I heard stories of people trying to track down the missing, and hearing simply that the voicemail box was full, and for some reason it just sounded like the creepiest thing. Even though you can’t get to talk to the person, leaving a message at least let you reach out to the person—leave some part of you with them. But when the mailbox is full, you know that it’s not being checked. The person can’t get to their phone. You’re helpless. I always thought that that would be the scariest thing, if you’re trying to track down someone you love.

…

But I never thought about what it would be like to be the person that had to go through each and every one of those messages.